On Wednesday night, hipsters everywhere cried “Fierce!” as Heidi Klum named fashion design wunderkind Christian Siriano the winner of Project Runway season four, making him the youngest designer yet to have topped the hit Bravo reality series. But this weekend, the 22-year-old Mr. Siriano is taking the spotlight off of himself (surprising, we know!) and casting it instead on his boyfriend, nightlife photographer Brad Walsh, 25, who will present his debut New York photo exhibit this Saturday at the building where he lives in Park Slope, with Mr. Siriano as the evening’s host, and tunes provided by the Misshapes. (Sorry kids, we hear the guest list is way packed!)
On display will be a collection of a few dozen studio portraits and party photos that Mr. Walsh has taken over the past two years, including shots of Euro models Agyness Deyn and Freja Beha Erichsen, the Misshapes’ Leigh Lezark, miscellaneous friends and a variety of outrageously dressed club kids that anyone who used to read Blue States Lose has probably glimpsed at least once or twice. (You all remember Jonny Makeup, a.k.a. Little Scotty Mouth Breather, right?)
“I really like to get a wonky-looking portrait of somebody,” Mr. Walsh told the Culture Czar in an e-mail. “They don’t normally enjoy that I get such a kick out of that, but if I had my way, every magazine ad would be Agyness Deyn with her eyes half-closed.”
Now for the gossip: Mr. Walsh said that he and Mr. Siriano started dating last November (find that story here), and that he teared up not once, but twice, while watching the Runway finale at the Tribecca Grand’s TreSemme/Bravo party—first when his self-produced song “Control Me,” which he wrote especially for the Bryant Park show, came on the speakers as Mr. Siriano’s runway music, and next while watching his typically stoic boyfriend cry on the big screen. After that, the couple went to Marquee for the official Runway after party, but had to turn in early (meaning before 3 a.m.) so Mr. Siriano could get some much needed beauty rest before doing the Today show and Regis the following morning. Fierce, indeed!
